📖 Meaning
There is no level ground without some unevenness. It metaphorically means that nothing in life is always smooth and free of obstacles. Setbacks and difficulties are an inevitable part of any endeavor.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Book of Odes (诗经), a collection of ancient Chinese poetry from the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE). The phrase appears in the poem 'Shiyue zhi Jiao' (十月之交) in the Minor Odes (小雅) section, paired with the companion line '无往不复' (nothing goes forth without returning). Together they express the ancient Chinese philosophical view that fortunes and misfortunes alternate in cycles, and that perfect smoothness in life is impossible.
💡 Example Usage
人生之路无平不颇，唯有经历坎坷方能成长。
The path of life has no smooth stretch without its bumps; only by enduring hardships can one grow.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 无平不颇
- Pinyin: wú píng bù pō
- Literal Translation: no, flat, not, sloping
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4